I was diagnosed with hyper T in 2004. I was put on both anti-thyroid meds, at different times, and was allergic to both. I was treated with a beta blocker (Inderal) for many years. I finally had to get my thyroid ablated with RAI and now I am hypo. Hopefully, your hyper can be treated with medication. Are you having heart palpatations? HBP? Fainting can be a result of high or low blood pressure.

If they put you on Inderall your heart palps should stop or at least get better. Ask if you can take it at night time as it might help you sleep too! Don't ever rush into anything such as RAI without second opinions. That is my best advice. Find a good endocrinologist. ✌

I have been hyper and hypo both! Lucky me. I tried the anti thyroid meds and my hair fell out and did not work too well. I thought about radio active iodine to kill my thyroid, but am allergic to iodine, and really didn't want to kill the whole thing. I opted for removal of 1/2 of my thyroid by a very, very skilled surgeon (worlds top surgeon is in San Francisco). You must go to an endocrinologist. GP's think they can handle thyroid and they can not! I have had lots of experience with people who did not know what they were doing trying to fix my thyroid problems. Also, not all endocrinologists are great either (oh, no!). So if you don't like the first one or two go to a third one. Good luck. This is fixable, it just take time and be patient.

I was diagnosed with Graves/Hyperthyroidism approx 5 years ago and I had no clue I had it. One morning I woke up and my eyes were hurting. It felt like there was these huge sacks of fluid behind my eyes and just touching them was painful. Not knowing what was happening I made an appointment to the eye doctor.

He told me to see an Endocrinologist as this symptom was in fact thyroid related. Then everything started making sense. I was hot all the time and would sweat profusely, had trouble sleeping, bouts of irritability. I was put on PTU (Propylthiouracil) for 3 years and then was switched to Trapazole (Methimazole). The endo told me early on that both medications were "black boxed" and have some serious side effects - one being death.

With that lingering in the back of my head he suggested two options - Radioactive Iodine Treatment or Surgery. I am fairly young and healthy and decided to take my risk with Surgery in Lou of the pill. I researched a lot during that time and felt more comfortable in the hands of a skilled surgeon.

All went well. I had the surgery Dec 24th 2013 - The scar is fading but I'm not a vain person and don't mind it being there. Reminds me of how resilient the human body is. Finding the magic dose of Synthroid was a bit challenging since you have to have it in your body 4+ weeks before you can test your levels again. Its trial and error but my number one advice it to find an Endo Doctor you like that actually listens to you. I regret not making the switch sooner.

Best of luck!

Yup, those symptoms sound very familiar. I recently had medically induced hyperthyroid to test for cancer (I had my thyroid out due to cancer two years ago) and it was all of those things and more. I was MISERABLE. Hopefully your GP can help. Otherwise get a referral for an endocrinologist. It'll take some doing to get you back down to levels where you start feeling better, but it can happen. You'll find a ton of discussions on here about the various forms of medications, but it sounds like you're not there yet. Let us know what the doc says!

I was diagnosed with Graves/Hyperthyroidism approx 5 years ago and I had no clue I had it. One morning I woke up and my eyes were hurting. It felt like there was these huge sacks of fluid behind my eyes and just touching them was painful. Not knowing what was happening I made an appointment to the eye doctor.

He told me to see an Endocrinologist as this symptom was in fact thyroid related. Then everything started making sense. I was hot all the time and would sweat profusely, had trouble sleeping, bouts of irritability. I was put on PTU (Propylthiouracil) for 3 years and then was switched to Trapazole (Methimazole). The endo told me early on that both medications were "black boxed" and have some serious side effects - one being death.

With that lingering in the back of my head he suggested two options - Radioactive Iodine Treatment or Surgery. I am fairly young and healthy and decided to take my risk with Surgery in Lou of the pill. I researched a lot during that time and felt more comfortable in the hands of a skilled surgeon.

All went well. I had the surgery Dec 24th 2013 - The scar is fading but I'm not a vain person and don't mind it being there. Reminds me of how resilient the human body is. Finding the magic dose of Synthroid was a bit challenging since you have to have it in your body 4+ weeks before you can test your levels again. Its trial and error but my number one advice it to find an Endo Doctor you like that actually listens to you. I regret not making the switch sooner.

Best of luck!

I second the find a good endocrinologist. I was hyper/Graves and took PTU/Methimazole for 15 years, diagnosed with it after passing out too. Finally found a good doctor after discovering I developed an allergy to the anti-thyroid medication and chose to go the surgery route this past June. It's been life changing, still working on getting the Synthroid dose dialed in but a good doctor makes a world of difference for thyroid problems. I suffered for years because of a lot of doctors still go by old standards or will only recommend the RAI route. Surgery is technology wise is more advanced, they can monitor the nerves little to no risk to vocals etc. now, but a lot of doctors still preach the scare tactic on it. Do you own research, get a good endo and life will be much easier to manage. The price you pay with a bad doctor who doesn't listen can be heart failure, liver damage etc. You know your body best, good endo's will adjust your meds or offer a course of treatment to help keep you as healthy and feeling as good as you can.

I was diagnosed with Graves' disease (hyperthyroid) in 2001. I was given propranalol to slow down my heart as I was a walking heart attack/stroke. Once I saw the endo, I had already had all the tests done. Basically they gave me no choice with regards to rai or surgery. I wanted surgery and they refused and basically forced me to pick rai (or death), so I did what they said. It was the biggest regret I have. I have never been the same and have been on long term disability ever since. I was 34 at the time, and was very active. Now I do nothing. If they corner/pressure you to do something, try your hardest to insist on what's best for you. Go to the medical library at your hospital and read up on your situation and numbers and use that info when you talk to the endo. Good luck.

I was diagnosed in 1991 with hyperthyroidism.

I had gone to my doctor several times during 1990, seeing locums each time, saying I was not feeling well, there was something wrong: I could not sleep, I was irritable, restless, weak, hot, not feeling myself. The 2 different locums told me it was a virus and I would get over it. HAH!

It was found by my ending up in emergency, with my heart pounding with an irregular heart beat, ON MY BIRTHDAY. I spent the night there. They had given me several drugs to try to normalize my heart. In the morning the surgeon came in and said that they were going to put me to sleep and give me a "Little jolt" to the heart to try to put it back normal. He walked 10 paces to the desk and looked at the monitor there and my heart was back to normal. He came back and said that I could go in an hour, but to visit my regular doctor as soon as possible.

On Monday, I went to my doctor, who gave me a bunch of blood tests. They had be back 2 days later, because they could not believe my thyroid was that high. Maximum was supposed to be about 150. Mine was almost 500.

They scheduled me to have the radiation test immediately and put me on a beta blocker to help my heart. It was decided I needed to have radioactive iodine to kill off part of my thyroid. I had to wait a couple of weeks, as there was a world wide shortage of the iodine. I was sick for 5 years after that, until I saw a homeopath. After 1 treatment with him, I felt better than I had since I developed the disease.

I have Graves Disease, so my levels fluctuate all the time, even after I had RAI 2 years ago. I can say, after RAI I felt MUCH MUCH better. I was on Synthroid for a little while after, but they took me off because my thyroid levels were back to normal. I get blood tests every 3 months. This auto-immune disease is incredibly annoying to say the least. I have eczema all over my legs, hair sheds like a dog, I'm sad a lot, have been gaining weight on a strict diet for 10 months, and the list goes on. BUT I do feel like I made the right decision with RAI because you simply CANNOT live with your heart pounding and the fainting spells (which I had as well). Blessings to you.

I just had blood work done and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I still need to see the specialist. I have many of the symptoms but I just lived with them for so many years I didn't really think anything of them. I sweat buckets, heart palpitations, so tired, anxious, seriously irritated, depressed, hot and cold,.... here I just thought I was depressed.

editorgrrl wrote: »

KathleenCora wrote: »

I just had blood work done and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I still need to see the specialist. I have many of the symptoms but I just lived with them for so many years I didn't really think anything of them. I sweat buckets, heart palpitations, so tired, anxious, seriously irritated, depressed, hot and cold,.... here I just thought I was depressed.

Me, too! I was misdiagnosed for years as bipolar.

Gosh that sucks, pretty much the same. I was just told I suffered from anxiety and depression with a touch of ocd thrown in there. Now they are telling me the majority of my symptoms are due to hyperthyroidism and my slight ocd is due to having to deal with these symptoms with no help for what I'd say close to 6-7yrs. My mind trying to compensate for my body not being in balance. Ugh!!

I was diagnosed with Graves last year. Had many symptoms for years - sweats, hot, irritable. Then some more appeared last year - interrupted sleep, constant need to go to the bathroom, inability to keep cool, falling asleep while driving for split seconds and finally heart palpitations all night long so even less or no sleep. At that point I gave in and went to a GP. I am now on propranolol and carbimazole. Beta blockers seem to be working and my heart is so much better, can't hear it at all now.